As I wandered through the desolate landscape, a sense of foreboding gripped my heart like icy fingers. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the sound of my footsteps echoing against the barren earth. "Where am I?" I muttered to myself, my voice barely above a whisper as I scanned the horizon for any sign of life. But all I saw was devastation, a wasteland of ruin and despair that stretched out before me like a gaping maw.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream shattered the silence, sending a jolt of fear coursing through my veins. Without hesitation, I broke into a sprint, my heart pounding in my chest as I raced towards the source of the sound. As I drew closer, the scene that unfolded before me filled me with a sickening sense of horror. There, atop a rocky outcrop reminiscent of something out of a nightmare, stood Lord Drakkon, his form cloaked in darkness as he surveyed the carnage below.
My breath caught in my throat as I beheld the scene before me - the lifeless bodies of every Ranger, strewn across the ground like discarded puppets. But it was the sight of Devon, my best friend and confidant, that brought tears to my eyes and a cry of anguish to my lips. Drakkon held him aloft by the throat, his grip like iron as he gazed down upon Devon with cold, merciless eyes. I watched in horror as Drakkon's white sword plunged into Devon's chest, the blade piercing his flesh with brutal efficiency. A strangled cry escaped my lips as I witnessed the light fade from Devon's eyes, his body growing limp and lifeless in Drakkon's grasp.
“No! Devon!” I gasped, jolting awake.
“Hey, easy Kali. It’s okay. You’re okay,” I heard Devon’s gentle voice. It took me a few moments to gather my thoughts and realized where I was. The sterile scent of disinfectant filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of medicine. The crisp white sheets beneath me rustled softly with each slight movement. Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow upon the room, yet failing to dispel the clinical atmosphere. The steady beeping of machines provided a rhythmic backdrop to the otherwise quiet room, and there sitting right beside me, was my best friend.
With tears streaming down my face, I immediately wrapped my arms around Devon despite the pain in my side. He hugged me back gently but protectively. “It’s okay, Kali. You’re safe and you’re gonna be okay,” he repeated gently. After a few minutes I calmed down just as the doctor came in.
“Ah, Kali. Good, you’re awake. How do you feel?” she asked.
“Sore, but okay.”
“That’s normal, after the accident you had. But you’ll be okay. Luckily the wound was easy to stitch up. You should be okay to go home in a few hours. You’re also lucky to have someone like him, he never left your side,” she explained as she checked my vitals. I nodded and thanked her, then she left. I turned to Devon.
“Accident?” I asked curiously.
“I had to make a cover story. Since it was late at night, no one was at Grid Battleforce so I had to rush you to the nearest hospital,” he explained. I sighed and nodded as I laid back down on the bed.
“Thank you, Dev. You quite literally saved my life. If you weren’t there… I probably would’ve bled out…or Drakkon….”
“Kali, it’s okay. I’d do this a hundred times over. I’d even trade places with you if I could. I’d do whatever I could to take the pain away from you.”
My eyes met his for a few moments before I felt a blush creeping onto my cheeks and I looked away. “H-hey, Dev? I need to tell you something. It’s taken me this long because… I was afraid that if I told you, you wouldn’t feel the same and…it would ruin our friendship. I’m…afraid of losing you…but I can’t keep it in,” I paused and took a deep breath.
Devon's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. "You can tell me anything, Kali. You know that, right?"
“I know, and that’s just it. You’ve always been there for me, Dev. When we were still new friends and we got into little arguments, you didn’t give up. When I was being controlled by Evox…you never gave up on me, nor were you mad at me for the things I did. You’ve saved my life many times, most recently…when Drakkon stabbed me through my dream…if you weren’t there, I probably would’ve died…either by blood loss or whatever else that Drakkon is capable of…what I’m trying to say is… saw Drakkon in a dream again…but h-he…killed you…and it made me realize…how much I care about you, Devon. Like…you’re more than a friend to me,” I explained. “I-I’m sorry if that made things awkward…but I just needed…”
Before I could finish, to my surprise, Devon closed the distance between us in a single stride, his hands reaching out to cup my face as he leaned in to press his lips against mine in a tender, passionate kiss. My heart soared as I melted into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his touch enveloping me like a comforting embrace. In that moment, all of my fears and insecurities melted away, replaced by a sense of overwhelming love and gratitude.
When we finally pulled away, breathless and flushed, Devon looked into my eyes with an intensity that took my breath away. “I’ve felt the same way about you too, Kali, for quite a while now and I’ve kept it to myself for the same reasons. I hate seeing you hurting physically and mentally, and I meant it when I said I would do anything to take the pain away from you because I love you,” Devon said lovingly. Tears welled up in my eyes as I threw my arms around him again, holding him close as if afraid to let go. But Devon was there, his arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace, and in that moment, I knew that everything was going to be okay.
As we stayed there, wrapped up in each other's arms, I felt a sense of peace wash over me, knowing that we had finally found our way to each other. After a few more moments, we let go of each other. “Kali…will you be my girlfriend?” Devon then asked with a small smile. A big smile spread across my face.
“Yes, of course!” I replied happily. Devon chuckled and smiled too, then leaned in and kissed me again. This time, I immediately kissed him back.
A few hours later, Devon took me home and to my surprise, Ravi, Nate, Zoey, Steel, Ben and Betty were there with a Welcome Home banner hanging in the kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind, I gave them your key so we could throw you a surprise party,” Devon explained with a small smile.
“To remind you that we’re all here for you and we’ll look out for you!” Steel added cheerfully. I chuckled and smiled, a few happy tears running down my cheeks.
“Thank you guys. This means so much to me,” I said as I hugged everyone. We all hung out in the apartment eating cake and ice cream. Ben and Betty had to leave after a while, though. I thanked them again and after they left I turned to the rest of my friends. “Hey, uh…you guys all wanna stay the night? Like I told Devon, my mom left extra food for you guys and she said you’re all welcome over,” I mentioned with a small smile.
“Oh, like a sleepover! I’ve never had a sleepover before. I’m in!” Steel replied excitedly. I chuckled at his response.
“Sure, why not,” Nate smiled.
“Count me in, too,” Zoey said with a thumbs up. Ravi nodded in agreement.
“You already know my answer,” Devon said, taking my hand with a smile.
“Woah hold on…I see that. Does that mean you two….” Ravi started with a smile, pointing at us holding hands.
“Yeah, we’re official,” I chuckled and kissed Devon’s cheek, making him blush slightly.
“Finally! It’s about time,” Nate laughed.
“Was it really that obvious?” Devon laughed too.
“Are you kidding? We all noticed the chemistry between you two pretty quickly,” Ravi joined in. I smiled and laughed too. I then realized that as I’ve been spending time with my closest friends, the fear and darkness that had been haunting me had disappeared…until I remembered the dream I’d had before I woke up in the hospital.
“Kali? You okay?” Devon’s voice broke me from my thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just got lost in my thoughts.”
“Drakkon again?” Zoey asked gently.
“No…well, sorta. But I’m fine. I don’t want to ruin the fun,” I replied.
“Whatever it is, you can tell us, don’t worry. When we’re all together, no one can stop us from having fun,” Ravi reminded me with a smile.
“Heh…I guess you’re right,” I chuckled softly. I then proceeded to tell them about the dream I had in the hospital in great detail.
“If I ever see this Drakkon guy, I’m gonna make him pay for huting you, so much so that’ll he’ll be the one having nightmares of me,” Devon said with a new fierceness in his voice that I’d never heard before, and I smiled to myself.
“He’ll have nightmares of all of us because he dared to mess with one of us,” Nate added, putting his fist in his hand. I smiled and thanked everyone again, grateful to have amazing friends. Soon, we had all drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken what felt like minutes later by our communicators going off.
“Rangers, Evox is trying something new. A new robotron is trying to get into Tower 3,” Commander Shaw’s voice crackled over the comm. Instinctively, I reached for my morpher as I prepared to join the fight. But Devon's hand on mine stopped me, his eyes filled with concern as he pleaded with me to stay behind.
"Kali, you're still recovering," he insisted, his voice tinged with worry. "I can't bear the thought of something happening to you again."
I hesitated, torn between my desire to join the battle and Devon's heartfelt plea. But in the end, I knew he was right. With a reluctant nod, I acquiesced, though the thought of sitting idly by while my friends faced danger churned my stomach with unease. “I’m sure we can handle this. You can stay with Kali, Devon,” Nate said but I shook my head.
"It’s ok. I'll be fine," I reassured him, forcing a smile despite the fear that gnawed at my insides. "I just won't fall asleep until you get back," I added with a playful wink, hoping to lighten the mood. Reluctantly, Devon rushed off with the others to face Evox. I watched them go with a mixture of pride and trepidation. The minutes ticked by in agonizing silence with tension in the air as I waited for news of their progress.
Just as I began to relax, a sudden disturbance shattered the tranquility of the night. A dimensional gateway crackled to life before me, its unstable green energy casting an eerie glow across the room. And there, on the other side, stood Drakkon, his presence a chilling reminder of the darkness that lurked just beyond the safety of our walls. For a moment, panic threatened to overwhelm me, the memories of our previous encounters flooding back with terrifying clarity. But then, amidst the chaos of my racing thoughts, I remembered my friends and Dr. Oliver, their unwavering support a source of strength in the face of adversity.
Summoning every ounce of courage within me, I faced Drakkon head-on, my voice steady despite the fear that threatened to consume me. "What do you want? Why do you keep haunting me?" I demanded, my tone tinged with defiance as I met his gaze with unwavering resolve. But Drakkon's response was cryptic, his words leaving me with more questions than answers.
"Are you ready to come home now?" he asked, his voice a sinister whisper that sent shivers down my spine. Before I could respond, he vanished into thin air, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a sense of unease that refused to be shaken. With trembling hands, I reached for the comm Billy had given me with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation, praying he’d answer.
Thankfully, he did and despite his tired voice I jumped straight into everything that’s happened, my words tumbling forth in a frantic rush as I struggled to make sense of the chaos. After my jumbled storytelling, Billy spoke. “First, are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked gently.
“Thanks, Billy. My team’s out fighting Evox, but I think I’ll be okay. They should be back soon,” I replied, a sense of comfort falling over me like a blanket, knowing that the legendary Blue Ranger had my back.
“Okay, let me know if that changes. Now, I think your encounters have confirmed what I’ve been thinking. Drakkon resides in a different dimension that’s linked to the Morphin Grid. Somehow, he’s able to jump to other dimensions and possibly times, or perhaps just certain ones. His connection to you is also still a big mystery,” Billy explained.
“We have the tech to dimension hop too. Maybe it’s time to take the fight to him,” I suggested.
“Leave that to my team and me. You’ve got Evox and his forces to deal with. But I promise to let you know if I learn anything more.” I sighed. I knew he was right, stopping Evox and saving Coral Harbor had to be my first priority.
“Thanks, Billy. I’ll let you know if I encounter Drakkon again.”
We talked for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. A few minutes after that, Devon and the others came back battered and bruised but alive. “Guys! Are you okay?” I asked as I hurried over to them. Devon gave me a small smile.
“Yeah, we’re fine. No one’s seriously hurt,” he replied. I nodded and went over to the kitchen. I grabbed the first aid kit and gave them each some band aids before setting it on the coffee table.
“Thanks, Kali,” Zoey said with a grateful smile as she put a bandaid on her arm.
“What about you? Are you okay?” Nate asked. I then told them about Drakkon and my conversation with Billy.
“But you are home. What could he possibly have meant by that?” Devon thought out loud. I shrugged.
“I don’t know what’d be worse: being related to that murderer or just being chosen by coincidence,” I replied.
“I don’t think it's a coincidence. He’s gotta be targeting you for a reason. What though, I have no clue,” Nate mentioned.
“Whether you’re related to him or not doesn’t matter. Nothing’s ever gonna change the fact that I love you,” Devon said as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I relaxed and leaned into him with a small smile. It didn’t take long before we were all asleep, the rest of the night peaceful for a change.
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